Anyone But You
by AllyPorter
Summary: Takes place in the year 2003. Sam is about to marry Jimmy but can Harrison stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life? Based upon the fate given in "The Consequences of Falling"


**Dedicated to Rach. Her birthday was a few weeks ago and I haven't had a lot of time to work on her present. Now that I do I present part one of her gift. Part two is to come later when I have more time to work on it. It's a rather big project for me so I hope this tides her over for now :) Rach, I know the scene this is based upon means a lot to you and I really hope I did it justice. I love ya girly and Happy Belated 19th Birthday! **

**-Ally**

* * *

**_Anyone But You_**

Regrets. We all have them. I've had about a million of them. What's my biggest regret you may ask? Well that's easy. My biggest regret is losing Sam. How did I lose her? Well I can date it back to May 13th, 2001. The night of our junior prom.

Sam and Brooke had realized they both had feelings for me and wanted me to take them to the dance. I know what you're thinking "manage trois". That would be pretty awesome, but that's not exactly how the night panned out. I had a feeling at the time that this "manage trois" was too good to be true. I knew I would be asked a certain question and I had thought about it over and over and came to a decision. A decision that little did I know would shape my life forever.

I stood there staring at the two beautiful yet very different girls in front of me. Brooke, she was my first crush. I had decided back in kindergarten that I would marry that girl. She was perfect in every way and I was going to get rejected by her a million times until she said yes. She was worth it.

Sam on the other hand. She had been my best friend my entire life. She had been there through it all. She wasn't like a lot of girls. She never went with crowd and instead forged her own path. She was strong in that way. I don't think I had ever seen someone so complicated yet beautiful in my entire life.

There were other things to consider of course. Brooke, she was perfect and yes she had rejected me plenty of times but she had never hurt me the way Sam did. When I confessed my love to Sam, she simply told me she with George and she couldn't even try with me.

So I had chosen Brooke.

Brooke and I had short lived Romance. She was perfect, beautiful, smart, successful, but she wasn't Sam. I don't think I ever truly loved Brooke, nor do I really believe she really loved me. Which is why after graduation we both had called it quits. Somehow I guess I knew there was always going to be a part of my heart that Brooke could never have and she knew it too.

She went on to become a fashion designer working with some of the top fashion designers in the world. As for me. I go to college at Harvard and hope to walk away with my bachelors degree in Engineering. I hope to one day get my master's degree.

So what happened the one that got away?

Well Sam is now a journalist for some local newspaper. She decided to stay at home when she met her fiance Jimmy. Yes, that's right. Sam is engaged to someone who isn't me. Not only isn't he me but that bastard shouldn't even be human.

I first noticed it when I came home one Christmas and saw her crying outside her front porch. Sam and I weren't exactly on speaking terms at the time between Brooke's accident and my decision, things between us were beyond complicated.

I looked at her, really looked at her. Her dark brown hair falling over her eyes. Her knees pressed against her chest. Her hand constantly motioning towards her face as if she were trying to brush away her tears.

"Sam? Are you okay?" I asked.

She wiped her face once again, "I'm fine." She said her voice cracking as she spoke.

I put down my suitcase and walked towards her on the steps. I sat next to her and put my coat around her. "Thanks," she said softly.

"What's really wrong here Sam?" I asked.

"It's nothing," she said not even looking at me.

"Come on, I know you better than that. What's going on here? Did something happen inside? Is it Brooke?"

She laughed almost mockingly. "Of course, I'm upset. So you immediately assume it's got something to do with Brooke. I appreciate your concern Harrison but not everything is about Brooke McQueen."

"Then talk to me. What's wrong?" I asked once more.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you, of all people."

"Sam," I began.

She wiped away more tears, "It's Jimmy."

My heart began racing, "What that jerk you dated your senior year?"

"He's not a jerk!" Sam protested. "He's just got a temper and he doesn't know how to control it," she said softly.

Right now my blood was on fire. A thousand thoughts rushed to my mind. "Sam, does he hit you?"

"No, he doesn't! It's nothing. You don't understand, talking to you was a huge mistake! I'm going inside," she then got up and stormed inside.

I sat there staring at the ground. _What happened to her?_ I thought bitterly to myself. _She used to be so strong. She never would have let a man like that push her around. Why doesn't she do anything? Why doesn't she leave him? _I knew at that moment that this wasn't her. This wasn't the girl that I had fallen in love with so many years ago. This was a broken person.

After that I tried to keep my distance from Sam. I knew that if I had seen her I would do something. I would kill Jimmy. I wanted to kill him for what he had done to her. I wanted to rip to shreds the very man who destroyed the person who I cared about most in the world. I tried not to picture Sam covered in bruises having several nights like she did when I had seen her. Sitting in a corner, cowering in fear, telling herself lies like "it'll never happen again" or "he only does it when he drinks." I shuttered at the thought of seeing her in a grave 10 years from now.

I knew very well that I couldn't keep this a secret for long. As much as I tried to pretend I didn't see her that night. That she was merely a figment of my imagination. That she was instead working on her journalism career and too busy to have time for a husband. I pictured all these scenarios in my head trying and hoping for them to be true, however I knew they were not.

The moment I saw her, I knew something was different. I knew I had to do something. No more could I put up this charade. I had to do something. Stop her. Prevent her from doing any more harm to herself. So it was decided. I was to go back home and see her a week before her wedding. Try and convince her that she was making a huge colossal mistake.

My hand shook nervously as I pounded on the door of the home I had come to know so well. Sam answered. She was as beautiful as I remembered. Her shoulder length brown hair hitting the sides of her face. Her exotic eyes hidden beneath the umbrella of her bangs. She was dressed in jeans and black blouse. Her diamond ring blinded me as she opened the door to her home. As she turned her gaze towards me. I couldn't quite tell what was going through her mind. Was she surprised to see me? Furious that I had shown up given our last encounter? I figured as much. I don't blame her for being upset with me. However I think she knew deep down that I was right about him, she just didn't want to face the music.

"Harrison," she said calmly. Her mouth instead turned to a grin.

I smiled back. It's hard not to smile when you see Sam. She has this power over you and immediately you are filled with joy and realize the world really does make sense. "Hello Sam," I said.

"Come inside," she gestured motioning open the door.

"Thank you," I said.

I looked around the house. It was still the same as I had remembered it. That cozy family feel with thousands of photos spread out and the one of Sam and I around eight still stood in its rightful place on the bookshelf. I went over and looked at the photograph again. It was taken on Sam's eighth birthday. We had our arms wrapped around each other's necks. Jane had come to the conclusion that we belonged together and that in years we would be the one's getting married. Boy was she any more wrong.

"Harrison," Sam called out. She gestured to the couch, "have a seat."

I nodded and sat next to her alongside the couch.

She reached behind her and pulled out a white envelope. "Here," she said handing it over to me.

I looked at her and then looked back at the envelope. "What's this?"

"It's an invitation to my wedding."

"Sam," I began only to be interrupted.

"Now before you begin. I want you to know that I would've sent it to you by mail but I didn't know if you would get it or you would even go. I figured if I talked to you first, you might be more likely to come to the wedding. Harrison, you have been my best friend my entire life. To get married without you would be wrong. I know you think you know Jimmy but you don't . He's really a great guy if you would just get to know him. He cares about me and he loves me. If you would just give him a chance, I'm sure you two would work things out. You would," Just then as Sam reached for her glass of water. It crashed to the floor below her.

As she reached over to clean it up. I saw something peculiar on her arm. It was a rather large dark brown mark. It looked like a bruise. Immediately my body went into panic mode. "Sam, what's that?"

I asked or rather demanded by the tone of my voice.

"It's nothing. I ran into a wall," she said not even looking at me.

"Let me guess. A wall called 'Jimmy'." I snapped.

"You don't know what your talking about," she scoffed. She got up from her place on the couch and scooped up the broken glass and made her way into the kitchen. I followed shortly behind.

"He beats you doesn't he?" I demanded as I walked.

"Ye-No he doesn't! Harrison, this is none your business!"

"To hell it's not my business, Sam! Who the hell are you trying to fool?"

"I think you should go," she said looking down.

I put my arms around her shoulders and calmed my tone. "Don't marry him Sam," I pleaded.

She shook me off and raised her voice once more, "Go to hell! You don't know anything Harrison!"

I whipped around to face her. "I know this. I know I love you. I know that you can't marry him. You don't love him Sam. I know the only reason you're with him is that you're afraid. You're afraid to leave him. You think you can't do it, but can Sam. You can. Just I beg you hear me out. Sam, I made a mistake that night. That night I chose Brooke. The truth was I was just so hurt. You broke my heart Sam and I thought being with Brooke would make it all easier but it wasn't. I couldn't forget you. I have always loved you. That's why I've kept my distance these years, I knew that if I got too close I would get hurt again and I didn't want that. Now I know that being apart from you _is_ hurting me and I can't do it anymore. I want to be with you. I want to be the guy standing at the altar as you come towards me smiling your sweet Sammy smile. I want to be that guy for you. Please Sam give this a chance, give me a chance. I'm begging you."

"I..I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to decide now. Sam, I won't go to your wedding but I'll be waiting two blocks away from the church."

"Harrison," Sam began. Her face welled up in tears.

"Don't say anything else. I'll leave with that. You know where to find me," I kissed her cheek and made my way out of the house.

So that brings me to where I am today. Waiting two blocks away from the church. Hoping god will have heard my prayers and send her to me. I stare nervously at my watch. _Where is she?_ I begin to wonder. _The wedding started five minutes ago, is she coming? She married him, didn't she. _My face falls and I can feel every inch of my body begin to break.

What's that I hear? Some voices and footsteps. I look at my side mirror and see Sam rushing towards me. Her hair in curls swaying every which way. Hands in white gloves and in an elegant dress now being torn as she ran down the hill towards me. Immediately my body relaxes and I'm left with this rather pleasant heart pounding rush throughout my body.

"Sam!" I call out almost screaming waving my arm back and forth. "Sam, over here!" I yell out.

I look over and see the entire wedding party following after her, "Sammy!" they yell.

She reaches my car and I yell for her to get in. She gets in the car and kisses the side of my cheek. I smile overwhelmed with joy that I had finally gotten the girl of my dreams. Finally I had disproved the myth that nice guys finish last and I had never felt so happy to be so right in my entire life.

"Sammy!" the crowd yells once more and I peel out of there at lightening speed.

Suddenly I realize we're all alone. "What made you walk away from him?" I ask finally.

"I remembered something I said to you a long time ago. I said, 'At the end of the day, I can't imagine being with anyone but you.' I guess I didn't realize till now, how true those words really were."

"I did. I always knew we were meant to be, Sam. I was just waiting for you to realize it too."

She looked at me and smiled once more. "So what happens now?" she asks.

"That's easy," I begin. "We live happily ever after," and with one arm around her and the other gripping the steering wheel, we begin our journey into the sunset.


End file.
